Justice News

Houston Woman Charged In Check Cashing Scheme

An Indictment Is Formal Accusation Of Criminal Conduct, Not Evidence.

HOUSTON – Doris Hayes, 36, of Houston, has been indicted for her role in a check cashing scheme in which she supplied false Social Security numbers to two banks in order to open up various accounts, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

Hayes, currently in custody on unrelated state charges, is expected to make an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.

According to the superseding indictment, returned today, Hayes opened bank accounts at International Bank of Commerce and University Federal Credit Union using Social Security numbers that did not belong to her.

A previous related indictment charged Sandra Carrier, 57, of Houston, with taking part in a scheme in which she caused her deceased mother’s treasury checks from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration to be cashed after her mother had passed away. Some of those checks were cashed using the same bank accounts that Hayes opened with false Social Security numbers. Carrier has already pleaded guilty to charges contained in that indictment and was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge David Hittner on March 12, 2013.

She is charged in today’s superceding indictment with two counts of making a false statement for which she faces up to five years in prison on each as well as a possible $250,000 fine. She is further charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted on that charge, she faces a possible two-year sentence that must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.

This case is the result of a joint investigation involving multiple federal agencies including the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Leuchtmann is prosecuting this case.

A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.